WHO IS THAT GIRL

Chapter 8: The First Break

Monday mornings always felt heavier.

Mirae walked through the gates of Cheongdam Academy with her hoodie zipped to her chin, her fingers gripping the straps of her bag so tightly her knuckles turned pale. Every step across the pristine courtyard seemed too loud, even though dozens of other students were walking, laughing, and greeting each other. She could feel their eyes. She always felt them now.

She kept her gaze low, pretending to be invisible. Pretending she wasn’t the subject of whispers. Pretending her heart wasn’t pounding.

Then she heard his voice.

“Well, if it isn’t our little Hoodie Girl.”

Mirae froze.

Baek Taewoo leaned against the fountain at the center of the courtyard, surrounded by a cluster of girls who hung on his every word. His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his tie loose, his blazer draped carelessly over one shoulder. He looked every inch the playboy prince he was rumored to be. And his sharp fox-like eyes were fixed on her.

The girls giggled as his smirk widened. “Yoo Mirae! Come here for a second.”

Her stomach dropped. She shook her head quickly, taking a step back.

But Taewoo was already moving. He slipped past the group with lazy grace, his long strides carrying him straight into her path. Students nearby slowed their steps, curiosity flashing in their eyes. By the time he stopped in front of her, half the courtyard was watching.

Mirae’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Please… not here.”

Taewoo bent slightly, his smirk curling at the edge. His cologne was sharp, citrus with something darker beneath it. “Why not? You’re famous now. Everyone’s been dying to see what makes you so interesting.”

“I’m not—” She swallowed hard. “I don’t want this.”

“That’s the problem.” His grin deepened. “The less you want attention, the more it follows you. Don’t you know how that works?”

The laughter from nearby tables stung her ears. Her cheeks burned. She tried to sidestep him, but he shifted effortlessly, blocking her again.

“Taewoo, stop.”

The voice cut across the courtyard like a blade.

Mirae’s head snapped up.

Kang Joonseo stood a few paces away, tall and sharp in his uniform, his school bag slung across one shoulder. His face was calm, expressionless, but his gaze was locked onto Taewoo — steady, cold, unflinching.

The courtyard fell silent. Conversations froze. Even the breeze seemed to pause.

Taewoo raised an eyebrow. “Hyung.” His tone was mocking, but there was a flicker of something sharper in his eyes. “Didn’t realize you were watching.”

“Move,” Joonseo said. His voice was quiet, but it carried. Students on the far edge of the courtyard leaned in to listen.

Taewoo tilted his head. “What if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll make you.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Mirae’s breath caught. She had never heard Joonseo speak like that — not to her, not to anyone.

Taewoo laughed, low and amused. He leaned closer to Mirae, his lips near her ear. “Careful, Little Hoodie. Your brother sounds jealous.”

Mirae flinched, her hands trembling. “Stop it,” she whispered.

Joonseo’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Taewoo.”

For a moment, the courtyard seemed balanced on a knife’s edge — the smirking playboy daring the cold prodigy, the silent crowd hungry for a fight, and Mirae caught between them, wishing the ground would swallow her whole.

Finally, Taewoo chuckled, straightening with a careless shrug. “Relax. I was just playing.”

He stepped aside slowly, deliberately, letting the space open between them. But as he walked away, he threw Mirae one last grin over his shoulder. “See you later, Hoodie Girl.”

The crowd began buzzing again, whispers darting like sparks.

Mirae stared at the ground, her whole body trembling. Her throat burned with humiliation, with something she couldn’t name.

Then she realized Joonseo was beside her.

“Are you hurt?” His voice was low, even, but there was a weight behind it.

She shook her head quickly. “No. I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.”

She looked up, startled. His eyes were fixed on her, unreadable but intense.

Her voice cracked. “Why do you care?”

For a second, his expression shifted — not enough to name, but enough to make her heart stumble. Then he looked away, adjusting the strap of his bag.

“Stay away from him,” he said quietly.

And with that, he turned and walked off, leaving Mirae surrounded by whispers, her knees weak, her chest aching with confusion.

She stood frozen long after he disappeared, the weight of every eye pressing down on her.

For the first time, Joonseo had broken his silence. And it wasn’t just the crowd that noticed — it was her.

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